Two foreign nationals were arrested after officials of the Horton Plains National Park discovered insect specimens, chemicals, and equipment used to capture small animals in their possession on Sunday (11 Jan).
The arrests were made when park officials, during routine checks at the entrance to the World’s End trail, found suspicious items in the luggage of one of the visitors.
Acting on the instructions of Park Warden M.M.K. Morathenna, officials, together with a ranger from the Hakgala Wildlife Office, later searched a lodging in Nuwara Eliya where the suspects were staying, uncovering additional specimens and chemicals.
The suspects were produced before the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate’s Court yesterday (12 Jan).
Their passports were taken into court custody, a travel ban was imposed, and they were released on bail of Rs. 1 million each. The case is scheduled to be heard again on January 26. (Newswire)
